NHS staff and patients urged to get vaccinated as flu season starts early

NHS services are braced for a tough winter after figures showed that hospitalisation rates from flu doubled last week.

Figures1 from Public Health England (PHE) show that the hospitalisation rate from influenza was “at moderate intensity” for the week ending 5 December, rising from 2.8 admissions per 100 000 people to 4.31.

The intensive care unit and high dependency unit (ICU/HDU) admission rate for laboratory confirmed influenza was above baseline levels, with a rate of 0.15 per 100 000 compared with 0.08 per 100 000 the previous week.

As of 5 …